Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-11-17
THE STORY OF THE CRIME.
How the Haymarket Meeting Led to Vari-
Gus Tragedies.

How the Haymarket Meeting Led to Vari-
Gus Tragedies.
The Haymarket riot occurred on May 4. 1886,
and was the result of n series Of attempts made
by the anarchists to produce boodshed. During
the st Ike that occurred April y, 1885, F1elden
and Parsons were familiar figures among the
dissatisfied men, urging them to resort TO arms
as a solution OF their grievances. At the street
car strikes in July, 1885, and the Mccormick
strike in FEBRUARY, 1856, Spies and Parsons took
the initiative in melting the idle men to deeds
of violence.
tti'la, aud when not disseminating his vicious
editorials he and Parons were haranguing meet
ings of strikers that were generally assembled
at the speakers call All these revo utionary
attempts thus far had proved failures, and is
was not until May /, 1886, that another suitable
opportunity for sowing anarchistc principles
was afforded spies and his contingency Tor by
At this time there was a general strike among
all classes Of laborers for eight hours to consti-
tute days work. 1t was the greatest strike In
the annals of Chicago and the immense num-
Der of idle mon and the extent Of the dissatis-
faction furnished an excellent opportunity for
intoxicating infiammatory doctrines, The an,
archist leaders perceived this opportunity and
ON the Sd of May the strikers from McCor-
mick a machine shops gathered ON Blue Island
avenue, near that establishment, proclaimtng
their alleged wrongs. Spies appeared in the
throng and haran suod the crowd in an infam-
matory speech, urging them to resort to arms.
strikers attacked the shops The appearance OF
the police prevented any disastrous results,
though during that day several more attempts
were mado to demolish the building. Several
workmen were injured by the efforts OF the po-
lice to preserve older, and this tended to aggra-
vate the prevailing discomfort.
After this disturbance had fairly been set in
motion Spies fed to the office OF the Arbetter
ZettttIl0 and issued the notorious Revenge"
circular. 1t began "keyengel Workingmen.
to arms /" and closed with "To armsi We call
you TO armsl' This circular was distributed
among the helligerent strikers, and was thought
to have had trs%endSgi 1 intlneaSs& " "
market.
On the following day, May 4, infuriated work
inpmen continued to prowl around the neigh
borhood of tho Mccormick shops, and were only
restrained by the presence Of the police. A cir
cular asserted TO have been written, printed,
and circulated under the supervision OF Spies
and his allies, was scattered among them.
This circular was addressed to workngmen
and announced a mass-meeting to take place
on the following night at Hnymarket square.
The strikers assembled early in response to
this call and packed tho square with eager
spectators. Tho speakers did not appear Till
| early 0 o'clock, whom they mounted wagon
ON Desplaines street at the north entrance
| to the square. 1t was estimated that two
| thousand people wore present when Spies
Parsons, and Fielden spoke. Tho two
| first were surprisingly mild in their ut
| terances This is accounted for by some
| by the presence of Mayor Harrison, who had
been urged TO prohibit the meeting. When nc IL
| came to Fielden's turn to speak he wrought his
i auditors to high pitch OF excitement by bis
inAammatory words. He advised them to
throttle and kill the & lST CsPts; P 4; BonieId rHd;l
ness to quell any disturbance that should take
| place, considered this tho proper time for
action AZ the head OF seven com com
| tains marched up Desplaines street TO
/ the speakers wagon. Fielden, seeing the
men approach exclaimed; Here come the
| bioodhoundsl You do your duty and I'll do
/ minei" Capt. Ward then gave the order to dis
/ perse peaceably." -We are peaceable, replied
/ Parsons, and at that moment the deadly bomb
was thrown and exploded with a roar that was
| audible for two miles. Officer Matthias !.
/ Degan and an anarchist named histler
| were killed outright Six more wero MGR
tally injured and sixty others received injuries
| that incapacitated them for duty for many
| weeks. Neighboring buildings were shaken 20
the foundations, and for n moment the police
| were driven in confusion. They recovered
| themselves, however, and after using their re-
| volvers and batous so frooly rs to fill the air
| with groans of the wounded succeeded in quell-
| ing the disturbance.
Spies, schwab and Fischer were arrested tho
| following morning, and on May IL grand Jury,
| charged by Judge Rogers, found indictments
against Spies. Pa sons, fielden, schnauDelt,
j Fischer, Lingg, Engel, Schwab, Neebe, Anton
Hirschberger and John APPEL. The two last and
| Schnaubelt were released, though it Is now
supposed that Schnaubelt threw the bomb. The
/ rest were held without bail.
The trial began on Juno Il. Judge Gary pre-
siding. The leading counsel for the prosecu,
Captain w. p Black. On the first day OF the
/ trial Parsons surrendered himself I'LL July
Is was consumed i'm iml anoling jury, and
/ evidence was hoard till Aug. IL. On this date
/ the attorneys began to argue the case and con-
/ cluded on tho 10Th. when the case was given tc
the Jury. At 10 o'clock a. m, Aug. 20, 1885,, the
Jury returned a verdict Of guilty, fixing Neebe'i
| punishment at fifteen years in the peniten'
| tiary and sentencing the others TO be hanged
1 A motion was Immediately made by the coun
| sci for the defense for new trial, but judge
| Gary refused to grant 1t. They succeeded, how
| ever in obtaining from Judge Scott OF tho su
| preme Court a supersedeas On Nov. ~ Ihs
| case was then argued at great length before thu
| Supreme Court OF Illinois. Unfairnoss wai
| charged the State in the selection OF jurors ant
| the seizure of private papers that Judge Gar,
| admitted as valid evidence, The supreme Cour
| rendered its decision ON Sept IA last, sustain
ing the decision of tho lower court The mex
step was 70 get the case before the Unitet
| States Supreme Court. This application wa
| made ON the charge that the defendants wer
not accorded due process OF law, nnd that th'
| Illinois Jury law was unconstitutional. Gems
Pryor and Butler and J. Randolph Tucker ar
guod the cnse for the anarchists, but the cour
declared the Jury law to be consttutionals tina
it did not have jurisdiction in the case, thu
sustaining the decision of the Illinois Surre1n
Court, sentencing the seven anarchists 70 b
hanged ON Nov. IL.